MIT2371F Video Games Wiki
History '1940-1949 (Begining of an Industry) ' The 1940’s mark the beginning of video games. Emerging after WWII, Goldsmith Jr.’s game is influenced by war. However, only prototypes of his device were made, it was never released in the marketplace because of equipment costs and other circumstances. Games were ‘designed’ rather than ‘programmed’—this entailed a rewiring and rebuilding of the machine if you were to reprogram. The devices are not integrated with television as in later decades. '1950-1959 (Introduction to Modern Computer Programing) ' Programming is introduced for video games for early computers like University of Cambridge’s EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator. The first video games are on computers like the IBM-701 and MIT’s TX-0. The military starts designing games starting in 1955, starting with Hutspiel, in which Red and Blue players (representing NATO and Soviet commanders) wage war. The video game phenomenon starts getting broadcast on national television, attracting interest and popularity. Sport games and puzzle/maze games are also introduced in the latter half of the decade. '1960-1969 (Video Games and Television Combined) ' The first computer-based video game is introduced in 1962. Programmers become commonplace after the introduction of BASIC programming language at Dartmouth. The football video game is introduced. The concept of video games being played on television is introduced. Space-oriented games are also introduced in response to America’s infatuation with space travel. '1970-1979 (Arcade Mania) ' The arcade game industry is started with the creation of Pong. The first computer magazine is published in 1972. The first FPS game is introduced in 1974. The home version of Pong ''is introduced one year later. Role-playing games are introduced in a text-based game called ''Adventure. The home video game system is released for millions of American homes, starting with Atari’s Atari 2600. The arcade game industry is still strong, however; causing a coin shortage in Japan. 1980-1989 (Revival of the Industry) ' At the beginning of the 80s we begin to see a overall revival of the videogame industry that had largely grown stagnant due to lack of innovation. This was notably started in 1985 with the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) more commonly known as the Famicom (Family Computer) in Japan. The NES was the first videogame system that sold into the millions. Notable games for the system were: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Excitebike (nintendo.co.uk). Near the end of the decade we also see Nintendo continue the trend of reviving the video game industry with he introduction of the companies first hand held console in 1989 called the Game Boy. According to Nintendo's official site to this day the Game Boy sold over 100 million units(http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Corporate/Nintendo-History/Game-Boy/Game-Boy-627031.html) . The system was most notable for the pack in game that came along with it Tetris which was recently created in Russia. · '1990-2000 (Console Wars) ' The decade of the 90s is best known for the rise of the 'Console War', the industry is now starting to turn massive profits and other companies want to attempt to take a piece of the action. As such we see the introduction of many new consoles beginning with Nintendo's second iteration of the home console called the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) the system bolstered better visuals and through the use of 16-bit graphics (http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Corporate/Nintendo-History/Super-Nintendo/Super-Nintendo-627040.html). The rival company against Nintendo was Sega and their own home entertainment console known as the Sega Genesis. The system touted 32-bit graphic capabilities but lacked support from third parties like Nintendo had. Sega is famous for their aggressive marketing campaign against Nintendo using the slogan "Sega does what Ninten-won't" (http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=ConsoleMuseum.Detail&id=36&game=11). With the implementation of large storage and more detailed sprites it allowed for larger worlds to be created and also allowed for deeper stories to be told as well. Near the end of the decade we see a transition from 2-D sprites to the inclusion of 3-D polygonal graphics. This began with the release of Sony entertainments first home video game console known as the Play station in 1995 and was soon followed by Nintendo in 1996 with the release of the Nintendo 64. Both consoles launched a new direction for gaming allowing for massive worlds to be created and lengthy adventures. Violence in video games is now starting to be questioned by parents and governments as the world become more and more lifelike. Notable releases for both so consoles are Final Fantasy 7, Twisted Metal, Crash Bandicoot, The legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, 007 Golden Eye, and Mario Kart. Other notable releases of the decade include: Blizzards famous Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Pokemon Red and Blue Version, and Sony Entertainments Hugely popular MMO Everquest. '2000-2013 (Mainstream/Casual Shift) ' This decade which is leading to the present see's the most amount of growth from an industry standpoint. Seeing multiple iterations of consoles from many different companies, and the shift of gaming as a geek culture mentality to a truly mainstream form of entertainment. Early in the decade Microsoft joins the console war with the release of the Xbox and 4 years later a new iteration called the Xbox 360. Nintendo releases its new console in 2006 titled the Nintendo Wii and aims to market at motion controls and the family. System was highly successful well known for the bundled in game Wii Sports. Sony also releases three systems in this time period titled in sequential order the Play Station 2, 3, and 4. Though out this era we see the rise of many new genres in the videogame industry, in 2000 Will wright creates the real life simulator The Sims, which has become one of the best selling computer games and has seen 2 sequels and a large amount of expansion packs. Harmonix takes the industry by storm with the introduction of Guitar Hero and eventual evolution Rock Band which is released in 2007. Blizzard releases the critically acclaimed World of War Craft and takes over the genre and remains the leader to this day. With the release of the Iphone and uprising of social networking sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace the casual gaming genre and market was created. Notable casual games include: Farm Ville and Angry Birds. Millions of people who never would have considered themselves gamers now while away hours playing games on these new platforms. To round out to the present date we see the release of three new consoles which mark the eighth console generation. These consoles include: Nintendo's tablet based console the Wii U, Sony's Play Station 4, and Microsofts Xbox One. All three consoles aim at supplying the game with a universal environment that allows for media and gaming to be done on one device. Technology As video games grew in popularity, developers often looked to new and innovative ways to create immersive experiences for players. Currently, video games are delivered on a variety of technological platforms. 'Computers ' Early computers were the original video game platform. Many computer developers attempted to build classic non-electronic games like chess or blackjack into their creations' programming. Initially, most computer-based games were text-based such as Oregon Trail or Adventure, as computers were not built with video games and graphics in mind. Many basic games are created over time, with minimal graphics or technological requirements, until the late 1980s when educational games begin to build in popularity. Graphical learning shifts some of the focus onto developing technology that can support video games rather than video games that are limited to the current computer technology. Over the next few years, visual video games grow to represent almost all video game options available for purchase for the computer. The graphics capabilities of computers are still very limited. In 1990, Microsoft begins offering basic games like ''Solitaire as part of their operating system packages causing video games to reach new players who would not previously have purchased a video game for the computer. As technology improves, the intricacy and visuals of computer games also improve. By the early 1990s, graphics and memory become the limiting factors when looking to purchase a video game for the computer. This is also the time video games started to expand to include online, multiplayer offerings such as Everquest in 1999. Online video game technology added another limiting factor: modem technology. Now players would need a method to connect to the internet, as well as internet service, in order to fully enjoy any multiplayer game. '''Consoles Video game consoles grew from the idea of playing video games using the television as a monitor. Ralph Bear was the first to craft a system that was designed solely for video games, the Brown Box, rather than creating a game on an existing computer platform. Although limited to certain games, this started the differentiation between console and computer-based video games. One of the most iconic video game console models is the arcade game-style consoles, which began with Pong in 1972. This technology incorporates a monitor into the design as well as a method for initiating and storing currency transactions where players pay with either coins or tokens to start the video game. Each booth can only play the specific game built into it, however. These consoles are iconic to video games and remain relatively unchanged in terms of esthetic design or appearance. Inside, the graphics have vastly improved over time but still fall below the quality of current consumer consoles capabilities. Pong soon made its way onto the console from Atari, but the system was still limited to the sole game until 1977 when Atari released the Atari 2600 which was the first console to feature joysticks, colour games, and the ability to change not only the game being played but the difficulty of the game. This was a big step forward from the monochromatic games such as Pong. Atari's console was also one of the first to implement cartridges which gave the player the ability to change games rather than being limited to the pre-programmed choices. Cartridges continue to be a staple in the video game console field, taking on various iterations as technology developed. Many other companies quickly begin to create their own consumer consoles, as the demand builds. The differences between many of the early models were improved graphics or increased variety of video games offered on the console. Oversaturation and few new game options lead to a slow decline in consume console purchases until 1985 when Nintendo releases the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. This system followed the earlier design of controllers and cartridges but also featured video game-specific controllers allowing the player to simulate the action in the game. Nintendo builds on its success and ventures into the handheld market in 1989. Handheld gaming is a different style of console where monitor, controller, and console are all combined into one unit held in the hand of a player. Some basic models only play a pre-programmed game but many allow for game selection using the cartridge method seen in earlier console designs. Over the next few years, many big names in the present video game industry release home consoles with very little change except improved graphics capabilities and the ability to access the internet, though few games existed that utilized this ability. Sega is unable to keep up with competitors and in 2000 bows out of the home console market. By 2001, the three big names in home console systems, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, had each released a popular console for home gaming claiming improved graphics and interactivity. In 2004, Nintendo also pushes the boundary in handheld gaming releasing the Nintendo DS which is the first handheld system to feature two screens, two processors, and multiplayer capabilities. By 2005, home consoles have moved into the online video game market and Microsoft's Xbox 360 offers vastly improved processing, graphics, and online capabilities over competitors' products. Nintendo's Wii, released in 2006, builds on the original Nintendo home console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and turns the controller into an immersion tool for gamers, allowing the console to read the movement of the controller and relate it to a corresponding action in the game. This results in physically active gaming, opening the market to sensor technology either in controllers, like the Playstation3's controllers, or with sensors next to the console that read the actions of the player without a controller, like the Xbox Kinect. The newest release of Sony and Microsoft's flagship systems in 2014 incorporate new advanced in the console technology including voice commands and advancement of the human body as controller technology. Video graphic capabilities, as always, are vastly improved offering more fluid and realistic imaging onscreen. 'Mobile ' With the ever-growing smartphone market, video game companies have a new field to target in video game design. The mobile phone video game market development followed the same lines as the console market in that mobile phones began with pre-programmed, minimal graphics video games as part of their interface. As time went on and smartphones began to permeate the market, the two major phone interface designers, Apple and Android, opened online stores where users could connect to download applications to their smartphones, many of which are either video games or incorporate video game aspects such as points or goals to attain. Issues 'Violence ' One of the most common complaints targeted towards the video game medium is overabundance of violence presented within the game’s content. The release of the controversial American fighting game Mortal Kombat in 1992 was the major reason for the push towards the regulation of video game content and themes. The combination of the game’s over the top violence and realistic graphics led to multiple hearings from the U.S. senate that ran from 1992 into 1993. The result of these hearings was the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), an organization dedicated to informing the public on the age appropriateness of video game products. The United Kingdom equivalent to the ESRB is the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) rating system. Yet despite these regulations in place, video games have still been linked to real life violence such as in the Columbine school shooting in 1999. Many target the playing of violent video games as a primary influence for the shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Further issues may arise from online interactions within these video games. As the ESRB frequently explains, they cannot rate the age appropriateness of online interactions given their high level of unpredictability. The online disinhibition effect is the theory that there is a tendency for one to lose their inhibitions within digital interactions since they are not face-to-face (Whitty). Psychology professor John Suler studied the nature of online interactions and claimed that there is a tendency for this loss of inhibition to lead to rude and aggressive behaviour. This effect is made worse with the introduction of voice chat into online play. Even with the ESRB enforcing age limitations, children are still able to obtain access to age-inappropriate content. Online interactions may also be damaging to children given that they are exposed to a variety of real-life personality types. In November 2013, a 46-year old man living in the UK had tracked down a child that was taunting him within an online multiplayer session of the game Call of Duty: Black Ops. The man was stopped before he could harm the child, but the issue still remains that children may be exposed to aggressive individuals. 'Sexuality ' For more information visit Sex and nudity in video games. 'Video Game Addiction' An issue surrounding the playing of video games is their addictive quality. This addiction can be characterized by the medium’s capacity to affect the everyday life of an individual. Given that the nature of present day video games is to offer rewards for continuing play, the notion of addiction has become a considerable concern. Social Isolation One of the primary concerns is the way in which video games may promote social isolation. Those who are addicted to video games may tend to withdraw themselves from real life social groups and hobbies. The desire to escape real-life problems can in turn lead to depression. Isolation from video game addiction is especially a concern within children, since it may impede with normal social development. Health Concerns The sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies the playing of video games can be detrimental towards one’s health and well-being. This concern is especially important within the lives of children, who should typically be participating in at least an hour of physical activity a day. There are direct links between time spent within a sedentary position and levels of obesity. Sleep deprivation is another issue that may arise from the overplaying of video games. In 2012, a Taiwanese teenager died after playing Diablo 3 for 40 hours without any pause. Earlier within the same year, another boy died after playing for a continuous 23-hour period. 'Piracy' As is common with most internet media, video games suffer from priracy issues. For more information please visit Digital Rights Management (DRM). Benefits Video games have come to be known as an everyday activity and lifestyle. It has long been a means of entertainment for several generations, carrying on a passion starting at any age. Children and young adults have come to be known as the main consumers and users. However, adults also partake in gaming as a way of relaxing. With its wide spread use, concerns of the effects of video games have been raised and questioned. Its proliferation has driven studies targeting the overall effects of gaming on the players. It has long been criticized as an activity that targets the player’s mind and body. In specific, the short and long-term impacts on children remains to be the main source of concern. Although video games and their effects continue to be a controversial topic, there are an undeniable variety of benefits for all ages. Video games allow individuals multiple freedoms and expressions in a digital realm, while exercising the mind. It has allowed education to take new forms to give students a superior alternative to traditional systems of learning. Video games have also formed communities, giving players a new means of connecting with other people from around the world. Overall, video games carry with it a host of evident benefits. 'Commuity ' Video games have become a prominent source of community and communication. Not only has it allowed multiple users the means of communicating, it has improved our ways of communicating altogether. Video games have long been seen as an activity that isolates and alienates an individual from any social contact. However, since “communication richness depend(s) on the interaction between the medium and its users” (Lancaster, 8), video games provide a multifaceted outlet for all types of people. Video games are “ideological spaces”, which allows worlds to be constructed by “particular viewpoints that tend to lead toward the expression of particular idea” (Squire, 652). With the introduction of online gaming, these means of expression allow interactions “of dispersed groups of people with shared interests” (Wilson & Leighton, 449) to form and grow at a substantial rate. These groups allow individuals the necessary ability to share their thoughts within a digital realm. Which has clear benefits seeing as community is known, in anthropological theory and practice, as something that is not distinguished by its real, imagined, or virtual characteristics (Wilson & Leighton, 456). Video games promote a “psychological sense of community” (Forster, 62), which has been “identified as beneficial to the development of identity and the building of resilience and well-being” (Forster, 62). Communities of common interest, such as those built from MMORPGs, contributes to an individuals social motivations (Wilson & Leighton, 62). An ever-changing gaming language dictates these social motivations, since it allows an expression of “human emotions” (Lancaster, 6). Online games encourage players to “form groups and play other groups within the game environment” (Wilson & Leighton, 456). Relationships are formed within these online communities, and provide support to players whether they face real or virtual problems. For many players, video games faciliate a "greater level of intimacy and self-disclosure" than they normally would in a real world setting (Redmond, 15). In the massive multiplayer game World of Warcraft, players have come together in the past to mourn the loss of a friend outside of the online world. Video games establish long-term friendships that extend beyond the gaming platform, and help players cope with hardship. As communities begin to form around video games, so do fandoms. BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment’s convention in Anaheim, California, celebrates the fans and their dedication to the games. These conventions bring together people and allow them to bond over common gaming interests. These conventions provide players a necessary outlet to display their passions in the real world. Which ultimately provides many a sense of acceptance, and “an opportunity to exercise their positive characteristics or to develop new ones in a self-actualizing process” (Suler, 457). 'Education ' With the emergence of video games, new and improved ways of learning have surfaced. Several studies have shown that video games have positive effects in the ways in which students absorb and use information both inside and outside of the classroom. Since video games have become known as one of “the most important entertainment media for youngsters”, education within the realm of gaming has proven to be beneficial. Video games are known to be “intrinsically motivating”, which ultimately leads to a positive attitude towards learning (Bourgonjon, 651). Video games are no longer seen as simply an “opportunity”, but rather an “imperative” towards the amelioration of educational practices (Squire, 667). They allow for the creation of educational practices that look to prepare students for a “life in an information/knowledge rich economy” (Squire, 667). Video games do so by providing multiple benefits for a wide range of learners, young and old. Traditionally, games were used for “factual recall”. Games such as Reader Rabbit and Alga-Blaster were often used since they were easily integrated into “didactic curriculum” (Squire, 5). As different genres of video games emerged, so did the benefits attached to educational gaming. Interactive video games have proven to increase the motor skills of pre-schoolers between the ages of three to six (Spector). Games on Nintendo’s Wii console have shown to improve hand-eye coordination and skills ranging from kicking to throwing (Spector). Video games have also shown to improve the creativity of middle school students, as researchers discovered that those who were advent video gamers found it easier to draw and write stories in school (Jackson). Video games have also shown to motive even the most “under-motivated” teens who typically do not perform well in school (Cool). Games aimed at learning curriculum through game strategies used during leisure time have proven to drastically improve grades, and overall social skills (Cool). Seeing as games are built “with clear goals and provide immediate feedback”, using video games in an educational setting improves a students performance to reach their goals (McClarty, 5). Assessment skills are improved through video games, and allow sutdents to improve their schoolwork following constructive feedback from their teachers (McClarty, 5). Well-designed games also encourage students to “adapt and design learning and teaching styles most suitable to them”, which ultimately leads to a more “active role in learning” (McClarty, 5). Video games also support problem-based learning, “allowing players to see the results of their actions” to “play out much faster than they could in real time”, ultimately leading to better decision-making and innovating skills (McClarty, 16). Video games can teach us about biological processes, they can help solve educational and scientific challenges (Spector). 'Physical and Mental Health ' Video Games in Popular Culture References Category:Browse